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Gore & Johnson: Putting “U” in Horseshoe!

The Colts came to terms with both Frank Gore and Andre Johnson on Tuesday with both players in town via team owner’s Jim Irsay private Jet. It was a pretty good bet the both players were not just interested in flying into Indy to just talk. Reports surfaced prior to the start of 2015 season with the Eagles seemingly locking up Gore to a deal. The only problem was it wasn’t official and Gore seemed to have second thoughts.

Then word slowly started to leak out that Gore was now considering the Colts and they suddenly became the favorites to land him. There could be multiple reasons but ultimately it came down to the belief that he would have the best chance to win the Super Bowl in Indy, thanks in part to Andrew Luck and their dynamic offense. Gore embodies everything the coaching staff wants in a running back: strength, power, and grit. He is nasty runner and can block and catch passes in the backfield with the best. The knock you will hear is about his age and the wear and tear he took due to his style of running. It can’t be discounted but it seems he is one of the best backs the Colts have had in the backfield since the Edge.

Similarly, when it was speculated that Johnson would be cut, many started connecting the dots to Indy because well, it just made sense. Reggie Wayne was not coming back leaving a huge void in experience and leadership something that Johnson brings to the table. Johnson like Gore is on the wrong side of thirty, yet he can still provide those elements the team needs and still has some good football left. Make no mistake, both talked and decided their best chance to win a Lombardi was in Indy. Give Credit to Coach Pagano and Coach Chud using their connections to the “U” to land the pair. Also, Reggie also gave the pair his blessing and spoke highly of Indy and the team (Reggie is a classy guy, even when going through a tough time with a team he loved).

Johnson said that on paper this team looks formidable, but the real work is yet to begin. OTA’s, practices, minicamps will be a valuable time for both to get acclimated to the team and overall culture. Johnson playing in the AFC South probably has a little more familiarity with Colts whereas Gore will probably need to learn and grow a little more with the team. Both will provide an immediate impact on the field. Gore is the best back on the team and Johnson still has the physical talent to help relieve pressure off T.Y. Hilton and Donte Moncrief. Both players are hungry and are looking at more than just divisional titles: they are there to push the Colts over the edge. Let’s hope they can.